Adjustable crank.



PATENTED MAY 16, 1905. E.gZ. GROWELL & M. GULIGK.

ADJUSTABLE GRANK.

APPLIQATION FILED annua, 19u14.

UNITED STATES latented May. 16, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELVARO Z. CROWELL AND MORGAN GULICK, OF MOUNTVERN ON, MICHIGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent NQ. 790,031, dated. May 16, 1905.

i Application filed Septemher, 1904. Serial No. 223,277.

T0 all whom, it mag/concern:

`Be it known that we, ELVARO Z. CEOWELL and MORGAN GULIGK, citizens of the United States, residing at Mountvernon, in the county of Macomb and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Adjustable Cranks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fishing-line reels, and provides a novel form of crank for rotating the reel, said crank being adjustable, so that in operating the rod to throw the line the crank will be balanced on the reel to facilitate such operation and in winding the line further adjustment of the crank will increase the throw thereof, and thereby increase the power or leverage, this being very advantageous, as it enables the operator to draw in the line in catching large fish with greater ease than is incident, in the use of the ordinary forms of reel devices.

For a full description ofthe invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings.

While the essential and characteristic features of the invention are susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of afishingline reel embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the crank of the reel and the adjacent attaching parts, said crank beingv shown in balanced position upon the shaft directly operated thereby. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig.Y 2, the crank being shown in the position inl which it is used in winding the line upon'the reel. Fig.

l4 is-a detail perspective view showing the crank and the weight or stop member carriedthereby spaced from each other.

Oorrespondlng and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The reel l showririn the drawings is of the vtype commonly employed for fishing-rods,

having the plate 2, by which it may be readily clamped to the butt of the rod. The

reellis operated by means of a short shaft 3 having a pinion meshing with a small gear upon the reel-sh aft, the part 3 being suitably mounted at one side of the frame of the reel in the ordinary manner. The short shaft 3, which operates the reel 1, carries the crank 4, the special construction of which constitutes the essential feature of the invention. The crank 4 is adjustable upon the end of the shaft 3, being adapted for slidable movement, so as to be disposed in balanced position upon said shaft or extended therefrom to increase the throwrof said crank, as before mentioned. The short shaft 3 has mounted u on its outer end a head 5, consisting of a p ate provided at one` end with a square opening '6 to receive the squared outer end of the shaft 3. The head 5 is attached to the shaft 3 by means of a screw 7 or like fastening device, and the head of this screw is countersunk, as shown most clearly in Figs. 2- and 3 of the drawings. The crank 4 is slidable longitudinally of the head 5 and is provided upon its under side with spaced guide -flanges 8, which are undercut toreceive the beveled edges of the plate which com rises the head 5. VThe flanges 8 of the cran form guides which direct thev slidable movement of the crank upon the part 5 and prevent displacement of the member 4 in a manner readily apparent. In order to limit the movement of the crank'4'upon the head 5, the weight 9, which is ordinarily used upon the cranks of fishing-line reels as a counterbalance for the handle, isr made removable, and said weight 9 has projected from its under side a lip or lug 10,'whicn eX- tends into the path of movement of the head as the crank is slid thereon, so as to prevent the head from passing from between -the guide-flanges 8, which would displacethe crank in a manner clearly apparent. The

' weight 9 is preferably attached to the crank 4 by means of a set-screw or the like.

When the crank 4 is moved so as to dispose the head 5 of the shaft 3 about centrally of the ends thereof, said crank is in balanced position upon the shaft, and such position admits of throwing the line by the usual operation of the rod as commonly practiced by fishermen. When it is desired to wind the line upon the reel, the crank 4 is moved longitudinally of the head 5 until said head engages the Weight or stop member 9, and the hrow of the crank is thus increased-in this mstance about twofold-which is advantageousin that the line maybe woundupon the reel with increased power. To hold the crank fixed at the adjustments above described, a latch-plate 11 is secured to the upper side of the crank 4 at a point between its ends, one end of said latch-plate being provided with a finger-piece 12, located adjacent the handle 13, by which the crank is operated, the oppo- -site end of the latch-platebeing provided with an engagingmeinber 14, which passes through an opening in the crank. The member 14 is a lug formed by a bent end of the plate 11, and this lug is adapted to engage either end of the head 5, so as to positively hold the crank in balanced or extended position at the will of the operator. One end of the plate which comprises the head 5 may be provided with a notch 15, into which the lug 14 of the latch-plate enters when the latter is in coperative relation with the said head. The finger-piece 12 of the latch-plate 11 bein located conveniently as reOards the hand e 13 can be operated readily 2by the finger of the fisherman as he grasps the handle prepara- .tory to winding the line upon the reel.

It will be understood that the extensible construction of the wheel-crank is applicable for other purposes than that set forth above, though it is especially adapted for reels and similar devices.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In combination, a shaft, a head upon an end of said shaft, a crank slidably mounted upon said head, a latch device secured to said crank between its ends and provided at one end with an engaging member coperating with the head, and a finger-piece at the opposite end.

2. In combination, a shaft, a head at an end of the shaft, a crank, there being spaced guides projected from the under side of said crank and receiving the head, a latch device attached to the upper side of the crank at a point between its ends and provided at one end with an engaging member cooperating with the head to fix the position of the crank, and a finger-piece at the other end of said latch device.

3. In combination, a shaft, a head at an end of the shaft and comprising a plate provided with an opening receiving the shaft, said plate being notched at one end, a crank slidably mounted upon thehead and provided upon its under side with spaced guidefianges receiving said head, a latch attached upon the upper side of the crank at a point between its ends, a lug projected from one end of said latch and extending through the crank and adapted to engage in the notch in the head, and a finger-piece carried by the opposite end of the latch.

4. ln combination, a shaft, a head mount ed upon an end of the shaft and comprising a plate having its longitudinal edges beveled, a crank mounted upon the head aforesaid and provided upon its under side with spaced undercut guide-fianges adapted to receive the longitudinal edges of the head, a weight at one end of the crank and provided with a lug projected from the under side thereof, a handle at the end of the crank opposite the weight, a latch device secured to the crank at a point between its ends and provided at one end with a lug extending through the crank and adapted to engage thehead, and a lingerpiece upon the other end of the latch device adjacent the handle aforesaid. A

ln testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ELVAR() Z. CROWELL. MORGAN GUIJCK.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. Coon, LARENA J. BoNNEY. 

